'Act now' to recruit for nuclear industry, says expert

China must immediately step up the training of talent for the nuclear industry, as major nuclear companies, which are at different stages of pushing a new generation of nuclear power, face an impending lack of engineers, experts said.

The shortage will be particularly acute in nuclear construction, as China represents about 40 to 50 percent of all nuclear power plants to be built in the world, said Robert Massy, vice-president of global talent management at the US-based Westinghouse Electric Co.

"It is a young industry here. The first thing is that you need people to build new nuclear power plants, of which the number will amount to more than 100 in the future. So there will be a short supply (of talent) if you don't act now," Massy said during the ninth International Youth Nuclear Congress in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.